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Thursday, November 15, 2007

Menus Ardoises

Parisian Marie-Noelle gave me this child's ardoise/ blackboard. It says:

Chez Carol

Watercolors - MacaronsHelp yourself

These same little blackboards or slates are how all French children learn their ABCs. Marie-Noelle knows of my efforts to learn French handwriting..

As it happens, M-N tutors children in cursive handwriting. Here she demonstrates her exquisite handwriting in my chaotic studio in the Marais.As much as I love maps, I am gaga over these little blackboards menus/menus ardoises.To me they're more symbolic of Paris than the Eiffel Tour...And you can puruse at your leisure. I love the broad expressive brush used on this menu.

Isn't it just the worse thing in the world when a restaurant has NO MENU outside to study over? It shows a complete lack of imagination on their part in my opinion.

I saw ardoises them everywhere. Not just at restaurants.

A faux ardoise-just cardboard, but still a charming way to advertise.

A chic boutique is using an ardoise style to show it's prices.

At La Mere de Famille chocolate boutique -an ALL-chocolate ardoise for back-to-school children to make the return less painful.

Not an ardoise at all - just a scrap of paper announcing the tragic news that L'as du Fallafel would not be opening until October 16. A big wait for a fallafel - NOT FAIR!

A the dream job-writing out the menu on a cafe ardoise.A little video on L'Ardoise restaurant in Rouen. And a petit leconfrom French.about.com, if you repeat and repeat will make you very fluent in French on theardoise!

Love the post today. I was given a long semi fancy Chalk board by a friend some years ago and had another friend who spoke fluent French write down a drinks menu for me.. in french.. to copy onto the board. I have it hanging in my kitchen now. Nothing says French like a menu chalk board.

Thanks for the fabulous Ardoises photos! This reminded me of that wonderful film "Amelie" when Amelie is writing the day's menu on the glass partition behind her seated, future boyfriend...and she's writing it BACKWARDS!!!! Nowonder she then melts into a puddle of water (after all that effort!!).

I've always wanted my own blackboard...I know there is paint out there that may do the trick.A wall to write notes to myself in chalk would be heaven...The French grab onto something good in childhood and don't let go it seems.

You would have loved walking by me round Courson when I lately visited their "plant exhibition" (they have it twice a year).School ardoises are trendy in French gardens... from full size to mini ones !I can easily imagine you there ... shooting like mad !!! and buying samples !

Yeah, that French language thing... I would have to listen to that video SO many times.... (my daughter, who is taking high school french, mocks me mercilessly at my poor, poor efforts... I may have to bring her with me to France as my interpreter...)

A very American twist on the chalkboard: the Starbuck's blackboards. They use special chalk markers with very intense colors and illustrations by one of the baristas. I love the different styles in the different Starbucks. You've inspired me to post my personal chalkboards....tomorrow!

Last day we were cleaning the basement of my grand parents house, and guess what? my brother found my old ardoise from school, the ONE I learnt to write those cursive letters on, and calculation too. I was so happy to find it back, there was my name written on it. One of the first time I had to write my name.

A few years ago, Pottery Barn and the like, sold huge blackboards for kitchens and workrooms which I thought then and think now are such fun ... especially for budding artists and calligraphers who love to draw or write something new every day. Our eyes are particularly drawn to these original billboards.

PARIS in yr Mailbox!

♥carol gillott♥

l'Ile Saint Louis, Paris, Ile de France, France

Hi I'm Carol Gillott,
My Mom taught me watercolors at 5 and I'm still at it. Now I live by the Seine on l'Ile Saint-Louis. Do consider subscribing to my Paris letters and maps on Etsy and enjoy a taste of Paris in your mailbox every month to savor with a hot chocolate and croissant. I paint Paris dreams.